Golfers, whether professional, amateur, or social are intensely interested in improving their short game of putting and chipping which frequently adds unnecessary strokes to a given round of golf. As a result, many man made putting surfaces have been created to provide putting practice in and around the golfer's home or office. A golf putting surface made of polymeric materials such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,302,803 is one such putting surface. Each putting surface requires a vertical hole suitable for placement of a golf ball receiving cup. A synthetic turf is placed over the top surface and allowance is made for a hole in the synthetic turf for the cup. In addition, side rails are employed and the synthetic turf is tucked under an edge of the rail. A problem occurs when the synthetic turf stretches or contracts or the polymeric panel expands or contracts. The turf can move with respect to the cup opening or bubble up if it does not have room to expand under the side rail. A solution is needed to solve this problem.